Orson Scott Card’s Controversial Superman Story Put on Hold

Image: Chris Samnee, DC Comics

The controversial Adventures of Superman story written by noted homophobe — sorry, “gay marriage opponent” — Orson Scott Card will not see digital nor print release as originally planned following the departure of artist Chris Sprouse from the project.

The traditionally low-key Sprouse released a statement saying that the media reaction to the announcement of Card’s involvement with the project had provoked his decision to step down as artist. “It took a lot of thought to come to this conclusion,” he explained. “The media surrounding this story reached the point where it took away from the actual work, and that’s something I wasn’t comfortable with. My relationship with DC Comics remains as strong as ever and I look forward to my next project with them.”

As a result, the Orson Scott Card story (co-written with Aaron Johnston, Card’s writing partner on Marvel’s Ender’s Game comics) will not appear in either the digital or print editions of Adventures of Superman, the upcoming anthology series launching later this year; instead, it will be replaced by a story by respected creators Jeff Parker and Chris Samnee, with the print edition featuring the Parker/Samnee collaboration in addition to work by Justin Jordan and Riley Rossmo, as well as Jeff Lemire. Because of this last-minute substitution, the first print issue of Adventures of Superman will be made returnable to comic stores that have already ordered it.

The news has inspired speculation about whether or not this could mean that DC will quietly kill off the controversial Card story entirely, with some suggesting that the story remaining un-illustrated gives the publisher an “out” to avoid any potential breach-of-contract legal response. (As a freelancer, Card wouldn’t have the option of a wrongful termination suit.)

Although attorney and frequent comics legal commentator Jeff Trexler told Wired that according to New York law, “firing an employee with religious-based views against homosexuality creates the sort of legal conundrum that would make a computer blow up on classic Star Trek,” this doesn’t appear to be the case for the Card story.

A statement from DC Entertainment on the issue specifically mentioned that the publisher “will re-solicit the story at a later date when a new artist is hired.” Of course, finding an artist willing to work on the story after it has provoked online petitions and outcry against Card’s hiring in the first place may be easier said than done; the DC statement also says that the publisher “fully supports, understands and respects” Sprouse’s decision to leave the project.

The now non-homophobic Adventures of Superman no. 1 will be launched digitally on April 29, with the print edition following on May 29. It’s unknown whether the stores that were planning to boycott the issue or donate their proceeds to LGBT charities will continue to do so in light of this development.